Recently, a long-standing professional talent exchange program between the United States and China, which has continued for many years even after the “Tiananmen Square Incident,” has been reported to be suspended.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News on October 9th, quoting informed sources and internal memos from the U.S. government, some participants in the program funded by Washington for training and exchanges were coerced into withdrawing due to “excessive interference” by the Chinese authorities. Others have reportedly faced “harassment, threats, and even arrest,” leading to the suspension of the program by the United States in July of this year.
Voice of America has requested information from the State Department regarding the suspension of the program, but as of October 15th, has not received a response.
The program, which recruits and funds individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau to visit the United States for exchanges, includes the “International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)” and the “Professional Fellows Program (PFP),” with IVLP being a long-standing talent exchange program initiated in the 1940s.
The exchanges between the United States and China can be traced back to the late 1970s, with a significant number of Chinese citizens traveling to the U.S. in 1978 to explore areas such as city management and electronics following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1979. By the 1980s, there were multiple Chinese professional and official delegations visiting the U.S. every month. It is known that former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and the current Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force, Chris Tang, have all participated in these programs.
Why does the Chinese Communist Party interfere and threaten participants in these exchanges? Martin Lee, a former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council who participated in the exchange program in 1998, speculated in an interview with Voice of America that the Chinese Communist Party seeks to understand American technology but does not want Chinese personnel to be influenced by American ideology. He mentioned that issues such as democratic systems and judicial independence may be areas that the Chinese Communist Party does not want participants to delve into deeply.
Public information reveals that the U.S. initiated this program with the aim of allowing potential leaders from foreign governments, political figures, media personnel, and professionals to gain firsthand knowledge of the political system, societal operations, and professional practices in the United States.
Hence, U.S. embassies nominate candidates from various countries, and these nominations are then approved by relevant departments within the U.S. State Department. The selected individuals may include government officials, political figures, media professionals, mid-level professionals from civil society or businesses, scholars, and other current or potential leaders from various fields, who intern or exchange at U.S. institutions or organizations for a period ranging from three to six weeks depending on the program content.
Martin Lee also pointed out a practical risk for participants from Hong Kong, stating that since the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, traveling to the U.S. for exchanges could be seen as “colluding with foreign forces,” leading to a significant decrease in the number of Hong Kong participants in these exchanges.
On the other hand, how does the Chinese Communist Party’s vigilance towards these exchanges manifest in preventing participants from proceeding? Chen Daoyin, a Chinese political scholar residing in Chile, told Voice of America that the Chinese side might adopt a combination of soft and hard measures to deter potential participants.
Chen Daoyin believes that a simple statement from a participant’s supervisor such as “perhaps going to the U.S. is not appropriate,” could dissuade some individuals from pursuing the opportunity. If they persist, it might imply potential consequences such as suspension from work or loss of material benefits.
He pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, emphasis has been placed on ideological security, and no one in research institutions dares to take risks related to ideology.
It is worth mentioning that the 1989 Tiananmen Incident changed the relationship between the two countries. Despite the temporary suspension of high-level exchanges with Chinese officials by the United States at that time, many cultural exchanges and other projects initiated before the Tiananmen Incident continued post-incident without complete interruption.
Since its inception, this U.S.-funded program has seen over 230,000 international leaders participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), including over 500 current or former heads of state and government, 12 Nobel laureates, more than 1,600 cabinet ministers, over 1,000 parliamentarians, and numerous prominent figures from various industries, sciences, and academia. Now, media reports have revealed that this exchange has been paused due to interference from the Chinese Communist Party, pressing the pause button for Chinese participants.